I live in a piece of paradise and I appreciate it more every day.  Nothing makes me angrier than to see trash caught on a Ponderosa Pine branch.  So, I think the entire food industry ought to get together and create a marketing campaign using celebs to tell kids not to litter.  Make it the coolest thing to do.  I would volunteer my time to work on it. 

And, for fast food, for heaven’s sake, have enough trash cans in the parking lot and empty them.  I know it’s a thankless job but we have to do it. 

And, design packaging so it is generic.  Why do we have huge logos on packages that end up in the rose bushes?  Let’s continue with the technology to find packaging that dissolves in the rain, so no litter.

It all comes down to educating our kids that it is dumb to litter. 

Editor: For more on packaging and litter, see Roy’s March 2007 article in QSR Magazine, “A Window is not a Trash Can.”

My thoughts on the use of promotion in our business.

Don’t do it!

Now, what I really mean is use promotion sparingly and smartly.  Don’t make it an every day occurrence to the point that your customer expects to get something for free whenever he walks in the door.  And, that is happening a lot these days.  We don’t serve food, we serve promotion.

I would use one major promotion per quarter, but they would be great.  In between, I would advertise my image and my total experience, not necessarily my food, except as it fits into the experience. 

Editor: Roy discusses the limits of promotion, including buy one get one, coupons, deep discounts, premiums and frequent customer discounts – in the Oct 8 2008 QSR magazine. Here’s a preview:

“I would clean the place up.  The time used by the crew to explain how you have to live in Sao Paulo and turn your game card in at the next neap tide to win, could be used to make the restaurant squeaky clean. 
And, I would train.  The only important commodity in any of our lives is the customer.  I would train my crew in the golden rule of the restaurant business.  Do unto the customer, as you would have him do unto you.  Nothing is too good for that guy on the other side of the counter. 
And, instead of messing with prices, free food, and coupons, I would execute local store marketing every day, become Mr. restaurant in my market, spend as much time in the store as possible given Billy’s marble tournament, suggestive sell my sides and sizes, take all the signs out of the windows and let the sunshine in and face it with a grin, update the uniforms if I have control, and become the local schools’ biggest supporter.”